Clutch for transmissions



' T B. TYLER CLUTCH FOR TRANsMIssIoNs `Aug. 25, 1936. j

Filed June 6, 1952 a gear 4|| formed on or keyed to a hollow sleeve l Thisinvention relates toclutches "Patented Aug. 25, 1936 V s f PATEN'r oFfFlee 2,052,436 cnu'rcn role 'rnANsMrssroNs Tracy Brooks Tyler, Detroit, Mich., as slgnort The Monopower Corporation, Detroit, Mich., aV

` corporation of Michigan Application .rime 6, 1932, serial No. 615,631

for trans-y mlssions. ,m-

An object ofthe present invention is to pro-'1 vide clutches for a multi-clutch transmission whereby the said transmission diners from conventional 'multi-clutch transmissions in that pressure clutches of the friction type, are employed. in lieu of. the conventional positive tooth clutches. l

p In the illustrated 4embodiment of the invention, the clutches are' not clustered, as in my copending applications Serial No. 611,384, flied May 14, 1932; Serial No. 612,194, illed May 19. 1932, and Serial No. 614,349, illed May 31, 1932, but are spaced between the torque transfer Further.' the illustrated embodiment includes multi-plate, oil-immersed clutches, ,and in` this respectresemblesthe `transmission of Serial No.

other objects ofthe invention win vbecome apparentA upon reference to the -following detailed description and to the appended drawing,

Figure lis a' longitudinal section view of a transmission of the invention, and

Fig. 2 is a section on line 2---2 gf Fig. 1.

Referring tothese figures, it will be seen that the transmission includes a casing 400 having transverse walls 40| and 402.y In the wall, 40| is l:lournaled the end of a power or driving .Shaft 403, having, a cup-shaped end, in the cup 400 of which ls Journaled the end 405 of a splined 'shaft mathe letter being journaled et its other end in the wall 402 and having a coupling head 401 secured thereon by a threaded nut-like plate -400. The shaft403 may be considered the drive shaft and the shaft 40|; may be-consideredthe duiven shaft, lfor purposes of convenience.

Keyedto the end of shaft 403 near the cup 404 thereof is a gear 4|0 in constant mesh-with "M2, the latter being supported and journaled on a stationary countershaft 4|0 which connects and is supported, in theopposed walls 40| and .402 of the transmission casing. Formed on Aor 'keyedto'the sleeve 4|2 are gears l418 and4|'| in constant mesh respectively, with gears. 4|! and 420, freely journaled on sleeves 422 and 422, fixed to the splinedshaft400. Formed onor keyed to they sleeve 4|2 is a gear 4|5 which is connectedto gear 4|0 through means of an idler gear (not, shown) in a manner well known in I the art, and for this .reason not shown here.

The gear 4I8 is freely viournaled on sleeve 42| which is likewiserilxed to the splined shaft 400.

tatably, connectedpy four groups of studs 445,

4 claims. (ci. 19asinr It will be observed at this time that gears 4|@ and 4|8, being meshed through an idler. not lshown, constitute part of the reverse drive mechanism.

Also splined on -shaft'400 between sleeve 42| f5 and an enlarged head 420 formed-'on the splined shaft 400 is a collar 421 to which is splined the web 428I of a s hell 429. Further, splinedto shaft 400 between sleeves 422 and 4221 is a second coll lar 430 to which is' splinedthe web 43| of a 10 second -shell 402. These shells constitute the .normally driven elements of the sets` of torque transmitting engaging elements in the transmission and selectively lcooperate with'driving elements to be described below to create drives l5 between shafts 40S-and 406. i

It willj-be seen that the sleeves'42l, 422, 423, the` collars' 421, and 430, and certain other parts, such as journals and `bushings take up the entire length ofshait 405 from plate 4,08 .to enlarge-v ment 426, and are thus held non-slidable withI respect to shaft 400.

Disposed within the shells and Vadjacent their webs', areannular plates 440 to 443 inclusive and to these the webs are slidably, though non-rop'assing through the webs and plates and disposed as follows: one group of studs in each web has its permanent heads in counterbores on the leftsides 'of the webs 42B, 43| and its rivetedover heads lon the right 'sides of plates 440, 442, these studs permitting the webs 428, 43|, and plates 440, 442, to be moved toward the plates 44|, 443 towards the left, av slight and limited distance. Second groups of studs, inter-spaced vwith the first mentioned groups on the Webs, face opposltely. so as to permitthe webs 42B, 43| and plates 44|, 443 to bev moved towards the plates 440-442, towardsthe right, a slight and limited distance.

Further, disposed in the shell 429 betweenthe pressure plate 440 and an enlarged flange 450' of the shaft 406 are sets of interfitted annular clutch plates 45|, 452, the former set being 'mounted on spllnes- 426a on the enlargement 426 of the shaft 406 andthe latter set being splined -to the annular flange 453 formed on the end of driving shaft 403. the enlargement 450 'in this case forming a backing plate for'these clutch plates. In'l the shell 429, between web 420 and gear 4|8 are similarly disposed and fashioned sets of clutch plates 454-455, splined respectively, to the shell 429 and to the hub of Similar sets ofA clutch plates are disposed in shell 432 between the pressure plates 4 42 and 443 thereof and the 'unreferenoed backing plates against which the web is tovbe moved. It therefore appears desirable to'pro'vide means for selecting a web and pressure plate to be moved and to move such web and plate, and for this purpose selector means, which will now be described, are

provided.

Disposed above the partsheretofore mentioned and under the cover 4G@ of the transmission are two parallel longitudinally disposed shifter rails 4M, 462, mounted to slide in the walls "li-402 of the transmission casing, as indicated. Each of these shifter rails is provided with a fork 454 seated in the groove 465 of a ring 485s, surrounding a shell. In the embodiment shown where. there are two shells having each twov pressure plates to be moved, there are two forks, one en each shaft, each fork being adjacent a shell.

For selecting which of the rails is to be reciprocated, and for reciprocating them, there is prol vided a shift lever its4 having aball end 481' adapted to be moved into one or the other of notches 458 in theshifter rails. These notches f face each other and are also open to the top so that the shift lever end may be moved trans'- versely across the space between the rails to find a seat in one or the other of the rail notches 468. When so seated the ball may be moved longitudinally of the transmission to reciprocate the thus selected rail and to move the-thus selected fori: in the direction desired.

Means in each shell for translating movement of a grooved ring into movement of a web and pressure plate includes a set of radially extending peripherally spaced pinions having cylindrical portions 410 disposed in cylindrical radially disposed bores oi' the shell webs, and also having eccentric roller studs 41| disposed in parti-circumferential narrow slots 412 of the collars 421, 430. These pinions further have toothed heads 413 disposed in longitudinally extending internal slots 414 of the grooved rings, which slots further contain securely mounted rack toothed portions 41! whose teeth are meshed with the teeth of the pinion heads 413.

It will be seen that when a grooved ring is moved longitudinally, the pinions therein will be rotated and since the eccentric portions 41| are heldagainst sliding longitudinally in the nonslidable collars 421, 430 the cylindrical portions 410 will act as cams to move a shell web and a pressure plate.

It will be observed that pinions thus rotated will be locked in their shell-thrusting position by the dead centers of the eccentric portions forming a lock against coiled compression springs 400 'disposed in spaced longitudinal apertures of the webs. The springs 400 are compressed between the pressure plates 440 and 44| and between the pressure plates 442 and 443 and, because the studs 445 are constructed to permit a limited amount of 76- movement of tho presunte plates relative to theirrespective webs, the springs 404 yieldingly hold the If, for example, the web 423 is moved to the risht (in Fig. -1), the upper pin 44! moves therewith, carrying the pressure plate 44| therewith. The lett hand ends of the springs 430 being seated against the pressure plate 44| causes the springs' 480 to move-also and to impart clutch engaging pressure to the pressure plate 4,40, `.After the clutch has been engaged in this' manner additional movement o the web 423 is possible because the springs 400 compress and permit relative movement between the web 423 and the pres- 'sure' plate M0, and such additional movement takes place until the eccentric elements reach. and-slightly pass their dead center points. Obviously, there will be a slight retractive movement of the web 428 accompanying any movement of the eccentric elements past their dead 'center points, but inasmuch as the springs 430 are at this time compressed as a, result of relative movement between the web 428 and the pressure plate Mil they will maintain the pressure plate @40m a clutch engaging position during such retractive movement. The springs 480 thus serve as a yieldable pressure transmitting means between the webs and the pressurev plates and permit the eccentric type actuating means to be moved slightly past its dead center point to lock the web in clutch engaging position, without destroying the clutch engagement as a vresult of the retractive movement which-occurs as the eccentric means passes its dead center.

It will further be observed that springs 430\ take up weer of the clutchjplates and permit the pinions 413 to be rotated always to dead center for full clutch engagement thus forming a back lock maintaining a predetermined minimum engagement pressure regardless of the wear of these plates. c

It will be observed at this time that direct drive from shaft 403 to shaft 400 is effected through the annular flange 453, clutch set 4M, 453, and enlargement 450 on the shaft 400. Other drives are `effected from shaft 403, through gears 4i0 and 4II, gears 4|5-4l6--4I1 on countershaft, gears 4I8--4l9-420, the selected clutch t, and the adjacent shell and collar, to shaft It will further be observed that the flange 444 on the shaft 408 acts as a backing plate for the direct drive clutch set. Accordingly there is no tendency of the shafts 403 and 400 to separate longitudinally as would be the case if any part of or secured to the shaft 403 were used as the backing plate.

. pressure plates spaced from theirrespective webs.

The transmission disclosed possesses advanta` genus characteristics and features inherent to the transmissions disclosed in my copending applications aforementioned. Further to operate the transmission it is' unnecessary to resort to an /actuating member otherr than shift lever 443. The latter may be moved at any time and at any speed of the vehicle, to effect any engagement in the transmission, silently and without dimculty or` delay.

I t will also be observed that the clutches are operatively and 'physically located between the torque transferring elements, namely, 4the gears, and the driven part and accordingly the unse- -lected clutches are not overspeeded when a direct drive is created, as is the case with other fo of pressure clutch transmissions.

Itwillalsobeobserved that thetranlmiion showninextremlynommait,ummm,ingannas lizing them as clutch parts, effects simplicity of operation as well as of manufacture. "The use of but one set of selector parts, for each pair of clutches also promotes simplicity. A

Further, even though the clutches are of the pressure engaging type, there is very little opposition to clutch engagement or disengagement, for the movable or controlling part, namely, the

grooved ring 465er can move freely and easily I along the shells 429 and 432 without opposition. Now having described the invention and an embodiment of the same, reference will be had to the following claims which define the scope of the invention.

What I claim is:l

1. In a clutch, a drive member carrying a plurality of friction disks, a driven shaft, a shell connected with said driven shaft and supporting a. plurality of disks adapted to cooperate with said first named disks in forming a driving connection, pins in said shell having eccentric bearings fixed againstaxial movement relative to said shaft, yieldable means in said shell and operatively associated with said disks, and means for rotating said pins whereby said eccentric bearings cause sliding movement of said shell to engage and disengage said friction disksby pres-v sure transmitted through said yieldable means, said last named means being adapted to rotate said pins to a dead center point positively locking said disks-against movement as a resulbof the urge of said yieldable means.

2. In a clutch, a drive' member, a plurality of friction disks secured against rotation on said drive member, a driven membena slidable. element keyed on said driven member, friction disks non-rotatably and 'slidably secured relative to said slidable element, yieldable means interposed between said slidable element and its respective Vfriction disks whereby upon movement of said slidable element said friction disks are moved into yielding engagement with said flrst named' y disks, rotatable elements mounted in said slidable element, eccentrics on said rotatable elements, and bearings axially fixed relative to said driven member and receiving said eccentrics whereby upon rotation of said rotatable elements said eccentrics cause engagement and disengagement of said friction disks. I

3. A clutch comprising driven and drive members having inter-engageable friction disks respectively mounted thereon and adapted to form `a driving connection therebetween, a slidable element mounted on one of said' members and adapted to cause engagement and disengagement of said friction disks by sliding movement thereof, yieldable means between said slidable element and said friction disks providing for yielding engagement thereof, bearings axially fixed relativeto-said last named member, rotatable elements mounted in said slidable element, eccentries on said rotatable elements and received in saidbearings, and means for rotating said rotatableelements whereby said eccentrics cause sliding movement of said slidable element.

4.' A clutch comprising driven and drive members having interengageable friction disks respectively mounted thereon and adapted to form a driving connection therebetween, a slidable element mounted on one of vsaidA members and adapted to cause engagement and disengagement of said friction disksby sliding movement thereof, yieldable 'means between said slidable element and said friction disks providing for yielding engagement thereof, bearings axially fixed relative to said last named member, rotatable elements mounted in said slidable element, eccentrics on said rotatable elements and received in said bearings, and means for rotating said rotatable elements whereby said eccentrics cause sliding movement of said slidable element, said last named means being adapted to rotate said rotatable elements and said eccentrics to a dead cenlter point where 'said yieldable means causes the parts to be locked in a position holding the friction disks engaged.

TRACY BROOKS TYLER. 

